CFS/XMRV on Good Morning America

[Cort]

Good Morning America Gets it Right!

This is really an excellent interview with Dr. Donnica Moore on Good Morning America; she's obviously very sharp and best of all she's been nominated to the CFSAC panel by the CFID'S Association.

It's nice to have ME/CFS represented well; it was particularly nice to hear her emphasize post-exertional malaise. I hope she's appointed to the panel - this women looks like she has it all together.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8664151

 

[Dreambirdie]

Yay!

That was great! I am so glad to see an honest, clear and thoughtful presentation of CFS. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Finch]

Well done Dr. Moore!

That was one of the best interviews regarding CFS I've seen to date.
Dr. Moore was able to get the main points across in a very brief time. I'm glad the interviewer asked about "willing yourself out of chronic fatigue syndrome" so that Dr. Moore could respond by saying that you can't! This was refreshing and hopeful for better understanding. We need her on the panel!

 

[KC22]

Wow! There is hope!!
I can't believe I am seeing this on mainstream media. She understands our symptoms.

I don't know if she has the many possible causes, but she was definitely impressive.

She also looked believable. We need to get her on the Oprah show where millions watch, and yes, Finch, on the panel.

 

[Cort]

I too was struck by how impressive she was. She's a published author and has been on CNN numerous times. She'd bring alot of visibility to the CFSAC panel I would think - I hope she makes it!

She apparently taught Tyra Banks how to breast feed on her show. (that got alot of hits1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvgt2Agsgqw

Her wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnica_Moore

 

[Jody]

That's great news about her interview.

Glad to hear some accurate information is getting out there.

 

[Wayne]

DVR Didn't Record GMA

My DVR normally records GMA every morning. For some reason it didn't this morning. Grrr.

Anyway, I too thought she did a great job. If there's one thing I would have liked to see her mention is that there are varying degrees of ME/CFS, and that some people can become homebound and bedbound for years, not just months. But I think she could be a great spokesperson for us. She certainly comes across as very credible.

Wayne

 

[Jody]

Hey, Ron

Nice to hear from you.

She sounds like she could be a great representative, doesn't she.

 

[Jody]

Thanks Ron.

I am doing quite a bit better. I am just running out of steam sooner than I had gotten used to in recent months. But the worst of the bad symptoms are pretty much past. I just get tired faster and brain gets muzzie faster than before.

Are you maybe doing a bit better yourself?

Sucks about the doctors you've had to deal with, we really don't need that kind of "help" when we're dealing with something like this. Thanks goodness we are finally hearing a little bit in the mainstream that is closer to the truth.

 

[August59]

The sad thing is. I can say, with pretty good confidence, that half the doctors that I've seen in the last 3-4 years thinks she is nuts and still think that the disease is all in the head. I hope not though. I am glad she mentioned the fact that there is a medication up for approval. Makes it a little harder to argue the fact.

 

[caledonia]

That was a good interview.

The one thing that intrigued me was she said, one day there will be a Type I and a Type II. I wonder what she meant by that, other than the obvious - child onset and adult onset. Like what would that mean in terms of what is going on the body?

For example, there are two different metabolic processes going on which cause Type I and II diabetes, but they are both diabetes.

 

[dannybex]

I agree...

That was certainly the best interview regarding CFS that I guess one could expect on a national morning news show (that are of course sponsored big time by drug ads).

My only complaints echo Wayne's: I was sorry that she didn't stress how serious this can become (no talk of some patients becoming bedridden for years, for example)...and that there was no mention of the possibility of mold or other environmental/heavy metal/toxic chemical issues that may play a large role in developing CFS. Just viral...

It's a great start however. A six-minute interview about CFS on national tv...that's amazing in itself.

Thanks for posting this Cort!

d.

 

[shiso]

so-so

It's amazing that CFS got coverage on a show like GMA, and it was a good interview overall. She was clear, credible, presented well, and was accurate in what she said; I bet she would make a great advocate.

I know we should be grateful for any kind of mainstream media coverage (and she only had 5 minutes!), but maybe because I've been feeling wistful about an imminent separation from my job in a career that I worked so hard to build and loved (my one year leave of absence expires soon), I came away with the impression that her presentation was a bit sugar-coated for the mainstream audience. If I had watched this a year ago before I got sick, I wouldn't have thought this was a serious disease.

While she described the symptoms very competently (and if you were listening especially carefully you could work out that, for example, if a game of soccer caused you a 3 day crash you were probably too sick to maintain a full time job), I thought her statements described the more mildly affected and didn't get across, for example, the high rates of work disability among those who are more seriously affected. How I WISH I had an important business meeting I had to go to tomorrow!

Sorry--just had to get that off my chest! Thanks for posting the interview.

 

[Frank]

I've just send an e-mail to ABC to thank them about the segment.

http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good Morning America

 

[Cort]

I think the missing piece in her interview is coming clear in these comments - more emphasis on how serious this disorder is and what it does to people. That has to be nailed in again and again for people to get over the connotations from the lousy name. I was just very impressed with her overall.

Thanks for the email address - I'm going to mail GMA and thank them.

 

[Jody]

Invite her to the forums.

 

[Finch]

Still Good to See

I guess because she hit on the things we know are important - post-exertional malaise, not just tired every day, not helped by rest - it at least hit the right notes for us. It's true that the average viewer might not pick up so much on these things or understand them, but overall I think she did better than most. It's true that people need to understand the seriousness of this illness more.

 

[Cort]

Here's a comment I got from Melissa, who has ME/CFS and has worked heavily in the broadcast field

I agree with everyone on the fact that she didn't get into the nitty gritty of how life altering and debilitating ME/CFS is for many people. But let me just say, I have been a news producer for 15 years (part of that with GMA) and most stories are 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. This topic got 6 minutes and the info that Dr. Donnica fit into that time was amazing. Yes, basic but very very good. I plan to pitch her as a guest to all of my television friends after seeing this segment. She is a great spokesperson to have on our side and given a longer forum, I'm sure she would really make people listen.

 

[Cort]

Dr. Moores son has ME/CFS. From the CAA's website:

Donnica Moore, MD: Dr. Moore is highly regarded as a women's health expert, advocate, physician educator and as a media commentator. Dr. Moore is the founder and president of DrDonnica.com, a popular women's health information website launched in Sept. 2000. She is also founder and president of Sapphire Women's Health Group LLC, a multimedia women's health education and communications firm. Dr. Moores son, Brian, was diagnosed with CFS four years ago. Dr. Moore has been active in organized medicine for over 15 years. For seven years she served on the Board of Directors of the American Medical Women's Association. She has also been a member of the Boards of Directors of the Society for Women's Health Research, the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Council on Women's Health, and Research!America. She has demonstrated expertise in health services and insurance.

 

[Cort]

Dr. Dannica replied to the 'Bringing the Heat' Blog

Thanks for all of your comments.. .especially to Melissa who understands what goes into putting these segments together! I do not have CFS, but I have lived with it in various stages for more than 10 years. My husband was acutely striken over 10 years ago after a flu-like illness with a moderate case of CFS and my son developed a severe, overwhelming form of CFS more than 5 years ago at the age of 11.5. Yes, I know how debilitating it can bemy son was virtually bedridden for a year. He didnt have the energy to lift a water bottle or walk to the bathroom. His comment is that CFS doesnt kill you, but it takes your life. And yes, I have a broken spirit and a broken heart as a result. But the purpose of this segment wasnt to tell my story or my sons, but to give an overview of CFS in general, for the purpose of educating the general public as well as healthcare professionals who are also viewers.